The evacuation of schoolchildren from London and other towns in the South East was a subject of discussion virtually since the declaration of war. We had heard that it might take place but the majority of us who were old enough to understand the situation rejected the idea of leaving our homes and way of life, and preferred to remain with our families and take our chances with the rest of the population. We were not to know at this time that we would have little choice in the matter.
I cannot be precise as to the date but I would think that it was probably March 1940 when it was announced that schools in the Southend County Borough were to close. This was probably the general situation in the South East. Full time school was to be substituted for one morning per week at various locations, including some private houses, which I assume were the homes of teachers who no longer had a classroom to attend. This ludicrous arrangement lasted only a few weeks and was abandoned. Evacuation was offered to those pupils who wished to leave and was to take place in May 1940. Realising that the only chance of receiving some level of education was to leave the area, I persuaded my mother that my six-year-old brother and I should go where we could attend school as normal. I recall that on the Saturday evening, we were taken for a final treat to the cinema to see The Wizard of Oz.
The Journey Begins
The next day, Sunday was very sunny May 1940 day and we joined hundreds of other pupils at Southend's Central Station for our 'Mystery Tour'. We carried our gas masks in a cardboard box, and had various receptacles i.e. cases & carrier bags etc. with our few belongings. Everybody had a large label pinned to their person with their identity & address. I expect that we must have had sandwiches and drinks but I cannot remember. After all the good-byes and tears that I am sure can be imagined when dealing with several hundred children and their families, we finally got underway. We had no idea where we were going and I believe our destination was as much a mystery to our teachers. I wish that I could relate some incidents of the journey but unfortunately all I can remember was that it seemed the journey would never end and it was extremely hot. I don't know whether we had any stops or whether we were the final group to leave the train. Neither can I remember which railway station we arrived at but recall finishing our journey by bus, our group consisting of probably no more than one or two classes. All of the evacuees from Southend were located in either Derbyshire or Nottinghamshire; our destination was Hartshorne.
New Home
We arrived at the village at about 6.30pm and assembled in the school playground where we were given refreshments, and our prospective guardians saw us for the first time. My brother and I were lucky enough to be able to stay together, which was not always the case, and we went to live in Camps Lane with Arthur & Nora Nicholls and their baby son, Patrick. We were quite happy and content in our new lodgings and I felt we would remain here until the time came to return home.
College
During the Spring of 1942, I sat the entrance examination for the Southend Technical College and was successful. I was informed that I would be joining the college, which was located in Mansfield, in early September. However, the College was relocated back to Southend in October. |